Labour has comfortably defeated Reform UK in the first electoral contest between the two parties in the Liverpool City Region since Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's resignation. The by-election in the Farnworth ward of Halton Council saw Labour candidate Louise Nolan secure 835 votes, while Reform's Christopher Charlton-Kingsley trailed with 596.
Background of the by-election
The vote was triggered by the resignation of Labour's Aimee Skinner for personal reasons. It came just weeks after Reform UK dominated Halton Council's local elections in May, winning 16 of 19 seats in a traditionally Labour stronghold. Labour's national figures, including those supporting potential new leader Andy Burnham, were closely watching the result.
Turnout reached 26%, higher than average for a by-election, attributed to intense campaigning by both parties on the ground and on social media. Labour increased its vote share by 14 percentage points to 51%, while Reform's share held steady at just over 36%.
Reactions from candidates
Speaking after the result, Ms Nolan said she was emotional and that the vote had been a ‘big test’ following May’s electoral drubbing. She stated: “I’m absolutely thrilled. We’ve worked a really hard campaign and the people of Farnworth have made the right choice for hope against division, and I’m really proud to be back on the council.” She added: “I feel quite emotional about it, to be honest. I’m really proud to be representing the Labour Party and the people of Farnworth were clear on the doorstep. They didn’t want a Reform councillor, they wanted a team of three (Labour councillors) working for them.”
Beaten candidate Christopher Charlton-Kingsley expressed disappointment, telling the World: “It’s a bit disappointing because I’ve had a lot of encouragement from the existing Reform councillors so I was positive and upbeat about it. The support has been great from Reform.”
Broader political implications
Labour's campaign manager, Cllr Wall, criticized Reform UK's national party ties to wealthy offshore tech investors, saying: “We ran a very organised campaign and we knew that the people of Farnworth were behind Labour and against division and crypto-millionaires.” Reform Halton party chair Jonathan Mackie responded: “I’m not a millionaire and I wish I was. I’m certainly not crypto. I don’t invest in crypto, so if she really believes the people of Farnworth came out and voted against crypto-millionaires, then that shows you how out of touch the Labour Party is.” He added: “It’s a really disappointing night for us. It just genuinely is. We had high hopes but we fought a good campaign, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get us to victory. What we do know is that our vote held up. We got 36% in May and we got 36% again here today. So we’ve got to try and grow it. There’s no doubt about it.”
While a single by-election result cannot be overinterpreted, Labour figures will take heart from the victory in a borough where the party was heavily defeated just a month earlier. The timing, coinciding with Starmer's resignation, adds further significance to the outcome.
